Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons-Chapter 224: Merciless Night (2)

They turned to flee—and froze.

Anna stood before them, her gray eyes cold as winter steel.

"Who hired you?" she demanded.

Silver Mask laughed bitterly. "Kill me if you want. Shadowhand never reveals clients."

"Admirable loyalty," Anna acknowledged. "Unfortunate choice."

Her blades flashed twice. The two assassins beside Silver Mask collapsed, throats opened to the night air.

Nine.

Silver Mask didn't waste energy on fear. "Impressive. This style... The royal family trained you well."

Anna's expression didn't change. "Last chance. Who hired you?"

"You know how this ends."

"I do."

They moved simultaneously, blades meeting in a shower of sparks. Silver Mask was good..

But Anna was royal guard, trained from childhood to protect the crown at all costs.

Their dance lasted twelve seconds.

Silver Mask fell, Anna's blade buried in his chest.

"Ten," she whispered, cleaning her weapons.

Anna touched her communication crystal. "Threat eliminated. Ten Shadowhand assassins. The target is...absent."

The crystal warmed in acknowledgment.

She surveyed the bodies surrounding the guild hall. The royal guard would need to clean this up before dawn.

Anna settled into a shadow to wait. Her mission wasn't complete until Arthur returned.

Somewhere in the city, others would be plotting their next move.

In the real world, Arthur opened his eyes.

'Four hours until the meeting with the king in Armageddon. Eight hours until I can summon my second primordial beast...'

The thought sent a jolt of anticipation through him. Another SSS talent to extract, an invaluable prize.

'After I summon my primordial beast, I'll have nothing to worry about when the merging happens.'

His face remained expressionless, but his thoughts were venomous. 'No matter how many come against me, they'll be like ants waiting to be crushed. And the first I'll crush will be the people inside this base...'

He'd grown tired of the military's games.

Arthur took a shower, got dressed, then pressed his palm against the door scanner. It flashed green, allowing him out.

He made his way to Raymond's office.

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Raymond looked up from his tablet as Arthur entered.

"Good morning. I need to speak with Donald," Arthur said without preamble.

Raymond blinked, then nodded. "Good morning, sure"

Raymond reached for his telephone and called Donald.

While they waited, Raymond attempted small talk. "How has leveling up been inside the game? Everything going well?"

Arthur studied him. 'Does he not know I'm imprisoned?'

"It's not going well," Arthur replied. "I haven't been able to do anything due to some circumstances. Hopefully it goes well soon."

Raymond nodded.

"Donald's on his way," he said as he ended the call.

Arthur took a seat, his posture relaxed despite the storm brewing inside him. His plans were accelerating. The guild manifestation. The royal audience. The second primordial beast.

Everything was aligning perfectly.

...

Donald arrived, and took Arthur once again to the car.

As they walked down the sterile corridor, Arthur kept his expression neutral. "I want to talk to my sister."

Donald shook his head, not breaking stride. "Arthur. You can't give me last second notice when it comes to this."

"Why? I simply want to talk to my bedridden sister," Arthur repeated, voice harder.

The colonel sighed, pressing his palm against the elevator scanner. "You understood me wrong. It's because you know your sister's health condition. It's very tough, and the doctors need to lower the dosage of certain medications. It's a hassle, so I need to inform them. You can't simply do it."

'The same excuses, repackaged with a veneer of concern,' Arthur thought, but he kept his face calm.

"When will I be able to see her then?" Arthur asked.

Donald's expression didn't change as the elevator descended.

The elevator doors opened to the underground parking facility. Donald gestured toward a black sedan waiting for them.

"Your sister receives the best care the military can provide," Donald said as they walked. "Something you might remember when you're being... difficult."

'Not even trying to hide the threats anymore,' Arthur thought, but outwardly he nodded.

"I understand," he said, tone compliant. "I just miss her."

Donald's posture relaxed slightly. "Of course you do."

They slid into the backseat of the sedan.

"How is she really doing?" Arthur asked once they were moving. "The detailed version."

Donald seemed to consider what to reveal. "She had a rough week. The new neural treatments cause pain initially."

"What kind of neural treatments?" Arthur asked, leaning forward with apparent interest. "You've mentioned them before but never explained the specifics."

'Keep him talking. Every piece of information is valuable.'

Donald hesitated. "It's highly technical. Involves neural pathway regeneration."

"I have time," Arthur said. "Please."

Donald's expression shifted—he enjoyed playing the benevolent authority figure.

"We're stimulating dormant neural connections using a technology derived from Armageddon's interface," he explained. "In theory, it could rebuild the damaged pathways in her spine."

'Using my sister as a test subject for technology they barely understand,' Arthur thought, rage simmering beneath his calm exterior.

"And the success rate?" he asked.

"Promising. The markers have improved by twenty percent since last quarter."

'Vague statistics that mean nothing,' Arthur thought.

"That's good to hear," he said. "When might we see physical improvements?"

Donald shifted uncomfortably. "These things take time—"

"Approximately how much time?"

"Each patient is different."

'Evasion tactic number twelve,' Arthur noted mentally.

"Has anyone else with her condition shown improvement with this treatment?" Arthur pressed.

Donald's smile tightened. "Your sister is a unique case. She was diagnosed very late."

"I see," Arthur said.

Donald's smile tightened. "Your sister is a unique case. She was diagnosed very late."

"I see," Arthur said, turning to look out the window at the endless rows of identical military buildings.

"I'm kind of bored inside the base. Is there any way I could leave? Even just for a day?"

Donald chuckled, the sound entirely without humor. "Everything is inside the base, Arthur. Restaurants, entertainment, you name it."

His eyes flicked to Arthur's. "And you don't remember the base's surroundings?"

Arthur nodded slowly.

'So that means no way they're letting me leave,' he thought. 'Not surprising.'

"Just thought some fresh air might be nice," Arthur said with a shrug. "The same walls get monotonous after a while."

"The compound has three parks with imported vegetation," Donald replied without missing a beat. "Sector 7 even has a waterfall."

'Artificial nature in an artificial world,' Arthur thought. 'How fitting.'